dead of autumn

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — Sunbury Press has released the bestsellers list for March, 2016. Mike Campbell’s 2nd edition of his Amelia Earhart book took the top spot. Dead of Summer by Sherry Knowlton grabbed the second spot.

SUNBURY PRESS – Bestsellers for March, 2016 (by Revenue)

Rank

Last Month

Title

Author

Category

1

NEW

Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last, 2nd Ed.

Mike Campbell

History

2

—

Dead of Summer

Sherry Knowlton

Murder Mystery

3

—

Dead of Autumn

Sherry Knowlton

Murder Mystery

4

13

Choice of Enemies

M A Richards

Spy Thriller

5

NEW

The Relations of Dwight D Eisenhower, 2nd Ed.

Lawrence Knorr

Genealogy

6

6

The Bipolar Millionaire

John E Wade II

Biography

7

2

Solomon Screech Owl’s Antarctic Adventure

Beth Lancione & Kathy Haney

Childrens

8

—

From Blue Ground

Joe Harvey

YA Fiction

9

—

The 3-5-7 Model

Darla Henry

Grief Counseling

10

24

Call Sign Dracula

Joe Fair

War Memoir

11

3

Between Good and Evil

R Michael Phillips

Detective Thriller

12

—

The Penns’ Manor of Spread Eagle

Steve Troutman

History

13

—

Tulpehocken Trail Traces

Steve Troutman

History

14

NEW

The Mask of Minos

Robert Walton

Thriller Fiction

15

—

Beagle Tales 2

Bob Ford

Pet Humor

16

—

Beagle Tales 4

Bob Ford

Pet Humor

17

—

Beagle Tales 3

Bob Ford

Pet Humor

18

—

Beagle Tales 5

Bob Ford

Pet Humor

19

—

Solomon Screech Owl Goes to the Galapagos

Beth Lancione & Kathy Haney

Childrens

20

NEW

A Moment in the Sun

Tory Gates

YA Fiction

21

—

A Darker Shade of Freedom

C James Gilbert

Historical Fiction

22

11

Rabid Philanderer’s, Inc.

Nancy Williams

Thriller Fiction

23

—

Raising Monarchs

Sue Fox McGovern

Science

24

—

The Undecided

Robin Donaruma

YA Fiction

25

—

The Cogan Legend

Robert Miller

Historical Fiction

26

—

Darkness at First Light

J M West

Murder Mystery

27

—

Found. Still Lost.

Ashley Nichole

Poetry/Photography

28

—

The Politics of Prevailing

William Miller

Education

29

—

Linnea’s Kitchen

Linnea Jepson

Cookbook

30

30

Pit Bulls

Anthony Julian

History

The 2nd edition of “Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last” by Mike Campbell took the top spot thanks to continued interest in the missing aviatrix. Sherry Knowlton nabbed the next two spots with “Dead of Summer” at #2 and “Dead of Autumn” at #3 thanks to author activities. M A Richards’ “Choice of Enemies” climber to #4 due to book store events. Lawrence Knorr’s 2nd edition of “The Relations of Dwight D Eisenhower” joined the rankings at #5 because of a large order for the Pennsylvania German Society event on June 4th honoring the former President and his Pennsylvania Dutch roots. John Wade’s biography “The Bipolar Millionaire” held at #6 thanks to author activities in New Orleans. Beth Lancione’s “Solomon Screech Owl’s Antarctic Adventure” slipped to #7 as orders tapered following the initial release. However, “Soloon Screech Owl Goes to the Galapagos” returned to #19 thanks to interest in the Antarctic release. Joe Harvey’s “From Blue Ground” rejoined the rankings at #8 due to author activities. Darla Henry’s “The 3-5-7 Model” took #9 thanks to orders from clinics. Joe Fair’s Vietnam memoir “Call Sign Dracula” climbed to #10 because of author activities. Michael Phillips’ “Between Good and Evil” held at #11 thanks to bookstore orders in advance of signing events. Steve Troutman grabbed #12 and #13 with “The Penns’ Manor at Spread Eagle …” and “Tulpehocken Trail Traces” thanks to interest in the author’s events in the region. Robert Walton’s new release “The Mask of Minos” grabbed #14 due to author release activities. Bob Ford ranked #15, #16, #17 & #18 with Beagle Tales 2, 4, 3, & 5. Ford has had great responses when selling books at his dog trials. Tory Gates’ new release “A Moment in the Sun” debuted at #20 thanks to author events. C James Gilbert’s “A Darker Shade of Freedom” returned to the rankings at #21 as the author prepped for events. Nancy Williams’ “Rabid Philanderers” held on at #22 due to online sales. Sue Fox McGovern’s ” Raising Monarchs ranked #23 as seasonal orders from garden centers arrived. Robin Donaruma’s “The Undecided” climbed to #24 thanks to author activities. Robert Miller’s “The Cogan Legend” ranked #25 due to local interest. Joan West’s “Darkness at First Light” took #26 from book signing sales. Ashley Nichole’s “Found Still Lost” charted at #27 from sales at an author event in Hershey, PA. Dr. William Miller’s “The Politics of Prevailing” made the list at #28 thanks to sales to education professionals. Joanna Jepson’s “Linnea’s Kitchen” cookbook sold out of it’s print run, taking #29. Anthony Julian’s “Pit Bulls” clung to #30 for the second straight month due to online sales.

CARLISLE, Pa. — Sunbury Press has released Dead of Summer, Sherry Knowlton’s second Alexa Williams novel. The first book, Dead of Autumn, was released last year.

In a tale of suspense that travels from Southcentral Pennsylvania to Africa to the iconic Woodstock Festival of 1969, Dead of Summerembroils Alexa Williams in the dangerous world of sex trafficking.

With help from friends, family, and her yoga practice, Alexa Williams is finally starting to recover from last autumn’s trauma of finding a dead body and the violence that ensued. The young attorney can’t believe that her summer has begun with the discovery of another body. This time, the dead woman was famous for her worldwide campaign against sex trafficking. The murder hits close to home: the late activist was a friend and mentor to Alexa’s best friend, Melissa.

While the town mourns, Alexa stumbles into a burglary at Melissa’s home, barely escaping serious harm. A client asks for help in convincing the police that her foster child is not a runaway, and Alexa learns that other local girls have gone missing. Drawn into the fight to save lost and exploited children, Alexa discovers a community of child activists. A local philanthropist wants Alexa to join his foster care empire. A sexy social worker and a hip college professor want a more personal connection with Alexa, but she is also drawn to the police detective leading the murder investigation.

Searching for answers, Alexa becomes entangled in a web of deception and danger that puts both her heart and her life at risk. By the time she discovers that the key to the present lies in the halcyon days of peace and music, it may be too late.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sherry Knowlton is the author of the successful Alexa Williams suspense novels, DEAD of AUTUMNand DEAD of SUMMER. Sherry was born and raised in Chambersburg, PA (nee Sherry Rothenberger)where she developed a lifelong passion for books. She was that kid who would sneak a flashlight to bed at night so she could read beneath the covers. All the local librarians knew her by name.

Sherry spent much of her early career in state government, working primarily with social and human services programs, including services for abused children, rape crisis, domestic violence, and family planning. In the 1990s, she served as the Deputy Secretary for Medical Assistance in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The latter part of Sherry’s career has focused on the field of Medicaid managed care. Now retired from executive positions in the health insurance industry, Sherry runs her own health care consulting business.

Sherry has a B.A. in English and psychology from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA.

Sherry and her husband, Mike, began their journey together in the days of peace and music when they traversed the country in a hippie van. Running out of money several months into the trip, Sherry waitressed the night shift at a cowboy hangout in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Mike washed dishes in a bakery. Undeterred, they embraced the travel experience and continue to explore far-flung places around the globe. Sherry and Mike have one son, Josh, a craft brewer.

Sherry lives in the mountains of South Central Pennsylvania, only a short distance from the Babes in the Woods memorial, which figures prominently in DEAD of AUTUMN.

Alexa let out a deep sigh and tilted her head to the left, then to the right, trying to dispel the tension building between her shoulder blades. Melissa was pushing her to the limit today. With reluctance, she gave in.

“We’ll both go. Does she have an alarm system?”

“I doubt it. Cecily rarely even locks the door.” Melissa reached for the doorknob, which turned easily in her hand, and the two women slipped into a mudroom area.

“Cecily?” Melissa called again in a hushed voice.

Alexa grabbed Melissa’s hand as they crept into the big kitchen. Following the scent of cinnamon, she noticed an uncovered plate of muffins next to the stove. The sight of a black pocketbook sitting undisturbed on the wide counter sent her pounding heart into overdrive.

“There’s a living room and an office through that door,” Melissa gestured, her steps slowing.

“Maybe we should go outside and call the police.”

“But what if Cecily has been hurt? Let’s at least check out the downstairs.” Melissa squared her shoulders and marched into the hall. Alexa scanned ahead and behind, on high alert, as she followed her friend.

“I’ll check in here. You look in there.” Melissa disappeared through the door on the right, and Alexa turned into the room that Melissa indicated on the left. Clearly, this was the office. She could make out the shape of an old roll-top desk in the near corner.

The stormy twilight that filtered through the tall casement windows steeped the room in shadows. This whole thing was creeping Alexa out. She ran her hand along the wall next to the entry, searching for a light switch. Finding none, she took a deep breath and strode toward the silhouette of a floor lamp on the far side of the room. She flipped the switch and sighed with relief as light flooded the office.

That relief vanished when Alexa took in the roll-top desk to her right. The desk was a mess. It looked like someone had pulled papers out of the little cubbies in the back of the desk and dumped them in the center. The big drawers all stood open, and more paper littered the floor beside the desk. The computer monitor hung by a cord, facedown, perched over some files. When Alexa took a step toward the desk, the monitor shifted, hitting the table with a thump. Startled, she backed away.

A coppery smell, like new pennies baking in the sun, hung in the still air. In the silence, Alexa noticed a faint buzzing noise coming from outside the house. Beyond the reflection of lamplight, she could see hundreds of flies crawling over the wavy glass panes of the antique windows.

With dread, Alexa turned left to survey the rest of the room. She moaned and swayed when she spied a pool of blood on the floor at her feet. “Not again. This can’t be happening again,” she protested under her breath.

As she looked in revulsion at the blood, a thin crescent of red inched toward her like a scarlet claw. She jerked her foot away in horror before she realized that it was a lone, blood-drenched fly, staggering out of the crimson pool in a drunken stupor.

Mechanicsburg, PA — Joe Fair’s heart-felt memoir of his time as a Black Scarf in the Big Red One in Vietnam, Call Sign Dracula, was the top-selling book for Sunbury Press in 2014, taking the Author of the Year Sunny as well as the top nonfiction book. Alan Mindell’s The Closer, about a baseball pitcher past his prime making a comeback, was the top fiction book for the year. Sherry Knowlton won the Sunny for Emerging Author of the Year thanks to her debut thriller novel Dead of Autumn. Following is a recap of Sunbury Press Sunny Awards over the years:

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — Sunbury Press has released the bestsellers list for September, 2014. Jim Remsen’s young adult novel Visions of Teaoga was #1 for the second month in a row.

About Visions of Teaoga
The year is 1790 and Queen Esther, a notorious American Indian matriarch, travels under cover to observe a U.S.-Iroquois summit at the ancient Teaoga treaty grounds. Will she be able to pass on her wisdom – and warnings – to the Indian villagers before the hostile settlers discover her in their midst? Will troubled native girl Sisketung awaken to Esther’s truths and see how wrong-headed the brash settler girl Sarah was?

Moving two centuries forward, restless tweener Maddy Winter also visits Teaoga, now a quiet riverfront town on the Pennsylvania-New York border. She tunes in to the region’s dramatic lost history and soon encounters spirits in the wind. As she gains in wisdom, Maddy longs to take on Esther’s mantle of the “peace woman,” but will she find the courage to do right in her own life?

Drawing richly from the historical record, Visions of Teaogacaptures a world in upheaval. Readers sit at a native story circle and learn of the tensions and treachery besetting the Eastern frontier. As Maddy and her modern-day compatriots enter the story, they ponder how our history was recorded and by whom. The book is a perfect companion for middle-school history classes, with discussion questions and other supplemental materials provided on the author’s website, www.jimremsen.com.

SUNBURY PRESS – Bestsellers for September, 2014 (by Revenue)

Rank

Last Month

Title

Author

Category

1

1

Visions of Teaoga

Jim Remsen

YA Fiction

2

NEW

Dead of Autumn

Sherry Knowlton

Thriller Fiction

3

16

The Sign of the Eagle

Jess Steven Hughes

Historical Fiction

4

–

Call Sign Dracula

Joe Fair

Military History

5

19

The Cursed Man

Keith Rommel

Thriller Fiction

6

2

The Piano Bed

Anne Marie Drew

YA Fiction

7

NEW

The Complete Story of the Worldwide Invasion of the Orange Orbs

Terry Ray

Paranormal

8

NEW

Death of the Dying City

Matthew Taub

Urban Fiction

9

11

The Closer

Alan Mindell

Sports Fiction

10

NEW

Hidden Dangers

Robert Stout

Foreign Policy

11

15

Dying for Vengeance

J . M. West

Thriller Fiction

12

18

Fatal Snow

Robert Walton

Action Adventure

13

–

Keystone Tombstones Civil War

Joe Farrell & Farley

History

14

6

Pit Bulls

Anthony Julian

History

15

10

Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last

Mike Campbell

History

16

–

The Bronze Dagger

Marie Sontag

YA Fiction

17

–

Winter of the Metal People

Dennis Herrick

HIstorical Fiction

18

7

Petrified

Tanya Reimer

YA Fiction

19

–

The View from Four Foot Two

Judi Markowitz

Medical Memoir

20

–

The Sinful Man

Keith Rommel

Thriller Fiction

Sunbury Press closed out its best September ever and its best 3rd quarter ever. For the month, sales were up nearly 8% as compared to last year. For the quarter,sales were up 22% compared to last year. Year-to-date, sales are up nearly 10%. The company is on track to have its best year ever. Trade paperbacks continue to be strong, while ebooks continue to weaken.

Jim Remsen’s Visions of Teaga was boosted by author activities. Sherry Knowlton’s Dead of Autumndebuted at #2 thanks to author events. Jess Steven Hughes’ The Sign of the Eagle climbed the rankings as a result of author bookstore appearances. Call Sign Dracula, by Joe Fair, returned to the rankings thanks to author activities. Keith Rommel’s The Cursed Man & The Sinful Man grabbed #5 and #20 respectively as a result of sales from the Sunbury Press 10th Anniversary Celebration. Keith traveled to Mechanicsburg and appeared with Brahm Gallagher, who plays Alister in The Cursed Manfilm. Anne Marie Drew’s The Piano Bed was helped by author activities. Terry Ray’s The Complete Story of the Worldwide Invasion of the Orange Orbs started strong at #7 because of interest from MUFON, the UFO research organization. Death of the Dying City, by Matthew Taub, was helped by extensive friend and family connections in New York. Alan Mindell’s The Closer stayed on the chart thanks to sales in the San Diego area. Bob Stout’s Hidden Dangers was boosted by orders from Mexico. J. M. West’s Dying for Vengeance charted despite only a couple days on sale due to interest in the Carlisle, PA area. Robert Walton’s Fatal Snow was helped by sales at Bob’s Bagels as it closed for good. The Joes, Farrell and Farley (and Lawrence Knorr), returned to the rankings with Keystone Tombstone Civil Wars benefitting from author activity. Anthony Julian’s Pit Bulls I continued to draw interest among dog enthusiasts. Mike Campbell’s Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last held at #15 due to his appearance before the 99’s in Wichita, Kansas. The Bronze Dagger by Marie Sontag reappeared on the list thanks to signing events at schools. Dennis Herrick’s Winter of the Metal People grabbed a spot after being named a finalist in the 2014 New Mexico-Colorado Book Awards. Tanya Reimer’sPetrified performed very well thanks to interest in Canada. Judi Markowitz’s The View from Four Foot Two returned to the rankings thanks to author activities.

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. — Sunbury Press has released Sherry Knowlton’s first novel Dead of Autumn, a murder mystery set in the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania.

About the Book:
Alexa Williams is a successful lawyer, volunteers weekly at a women’s clinic, and has a sexy weekend boyfriend—not to mention an endearing best friend in her giant English mastiff, Scout. But one autumn day, when Scout takes off into the Pennsylvania woods, Alexa discovers a nightmare she’d never imagined. From that fateful day, Alexa becomes entangled in a murder mystery—one that she tries to unravel by linking it to experiences and symbols in her own life.

Dewilla Noakes, a child of the Depression, has recently lost her mother. Her father, packs up the girls—and their attractive cousin, Winnie—and hits the road to look for a job on the east coast. Along the way, money becomes tighter, food becomes scarcer, and relationships become strained. Dewilla’s father fears he’s failing his daughters. Running out of options, he begins to consider the unthinkable to end the misery he’s brought upon his family …

Horrific scene of the “Babes in the Woods” referred to in “Dead of Autumn.”

Alexa soon finds herself amidst violence aimed at the clinic where she volunteers, brought on by pro-life extremists. In a bizarre turn of events, she’s almost raped, ambushed by religious zealots who wish to convert her, then taken by surprise as another romance enters her life. Plus, she seems to be seeing quite a lot of the local law enforcement these days.

No matter what else happens in her life, Alexa can’t shake feeling some sort of connection to the mysterious murder victim. She thinks back to the stories she heard as a child, about the Babes in the Woods, who were murdered close to where the victim’s body was found, wondering if that might be why she draws the connection. But when the murderer strikes again, Alexa must rely on her knowledge of local history and terrain in order to save her own life.

DEAD of AUTUMN ties together the struggles faced by females, young and old, past and present, and the degrees of power they embrace to combat their situations.

Excerpt:
“Last one, Scout,” Alexa warned as she arced the ball high into the air, but her throw went astray. The ball clipped a low-hanging branch, plummeted to the ground, and disappeared over a small hill. The mastiff chased after the ball as it hit the dirt and rolled down the far slope.

For a few seconds, Alexa lost sight of both Scout and the ball. She rushed in their direction, calling out to the dog. She stopped dead in her tracks then sprinted when she heard Scout barking furiously. When the pitch of his bark rose to a high keen, an icy tremor fluttered down Alexa’s spine.

Frantic thoughts of bears, porcupines, and animal traps flew through Alexa’s mind as she reached the top of the rise. She slowed as she caught sight of Scout about twenty yards away. Still yelping, the red ball forgotten at his feet, the mastiff seemed riveted by a bushy area near the small stream.

The dog didn’t appear to be hurt, but she still worried that some wild animal was involved. This state forest saw several cases of rabies every year, and she didn’t want to confront a rabid fox or other animal. She picked up a fallen branch.

Despite repeated calls, Scout would not come to her. Alexa continued to edge nearer, her heart thumping. She glimpsed a bright flash of pink at the far base of the mountain laurel and wondered why Scout would flip out over a pile of trash. Tensed to flee, Alexa tiptoed still closer to Scout and whatever had him behaving so strangely.

A slight, blonde girl lay completely still beneath the mountain laurel, a patch of her torn fuchsia blouse lifting on the breeze. Her legs, clad in trendy blue jeans, skewed at an impossible angle to her waist. Her back rested on a pile of scarlet leaves, right arm flung above her head; blue eyes staring sightless at the sky.

Alexa gasped and let the branch slip from her fingers. She reached out to grip Scout’s collar, and the dog immediately stopped his keening. An abrupt silence fell over the forest. The sudden quiet unnerved Alexa. The small slope blocked any sounds of traffic from the road. She could hear nothing except the muted burble of the creek and the dry rustle of autumn leaves.

The murmur of the dying leaves seemed to whisper a warning. Alexa scanned the surrounding area, but she and Scout were alone.

Alone with a dead body.

About the Author:
Sherry Knowlton (nee Rothenberger) was born and raised in Chambersburg, PA, where she developed a lifelong passion for books. She was that kid who would sneak a flashlight to bed at night so she could read beneath the covers. All the local librarians knew her by name.

Sherry launched her writing career with a mimeographed elementary school newsletter and went on to write and edit for her high school and college newspapers. Since then, Sherry’s creative and technical writing has run the gamut from poetry, essays, and short stories to environmental newsletters, policy papers, regulations, and grant proposals. Dead of Autumn is her first novel.

Sherry spent much of her early career in state government, working primarily with social and human services programs, including services for abused children, rape crisis, domestic violence, and family planning. In the 1990s, she served as the Deputy Secretary for Medical Assistance in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The latter part of Sherry’s career has focused on the field of Medicaid managed care. Now retired from executive positions in the health insurance industry, Sherry runs her own health care consulting business.

Sherry has a B.A. in English and psychology from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA.

Sherry and her husband, Mike, began their journey together in the days of peace and music when they traversed the country in a hippie van. Running out of money several months into the trip, Sherry waitressed the night shift at a cowboy hangout in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Mike washed dishes in a bakery. Undeterred, they embraced the travel experience and continue to explore far-flung places around the globe. Sherry and Mike have one son, Josh, a craft brewer in upstate New York.

Sherry lives in the mountains of South Central Pennsylvania, only a short distance from the Babes in the Woods memorial.